Angry? You Better Do More Than Vent To Your Friends!

Greensboro, NC -- It is energy week on 2 Wants To Know and nothing it seems makes you feel you're using up all your energy more than being angry.

A Lifehacker.com article we found talked about how venting our anger may make us feel better but it really doesn't make the anger go away.

We asked Lebauer Health Psychologist David Gutterman to explain. "If you just vent, you might get an immediate release. It doesn't mean you should repress, but you have learn how to vent constructively."

Anger and blowing off steam has been likened to a drug. "It gives immediate relief like a drug, " says Gutterman. "If you immediately respond aggressively it gives you a rush. It keeps you in a heightened state of arousal and we're trying to get you to experience the opposite."

So, if catharsis doesn't really help, what does? Gutterman says the old school "count to 10" method does help. He says the time allows you to put things in perspective. It allows you to ask yourself, "Is my reaction appropriate to this situation and worth ruining my hour, day, week?". Gutterman says the next part is having some sort of plan.

And when it comes to emotions in general, Gutterman says they are all fairly equal in energy: anger, stress, depression, they are all taxing on all systems in your body.